Combined type-writing and computing machine.



Patented Nov. 20, 1917.

G. o. DEGENER. COMBINED TY'PE WRITING AND COMPUTING MACHINE,

APPLICATION FILED OCT. l', |913-` 'UNITED' sTATEs PATENT oFFicE.

GUSTAVE O. DEGENER, OEBRONXVILIE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO UNDERWOOD COM- PUTING MACHINE COMPANY, OF NEW -YORK, .N. Y., A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

COMBINED 4TYPE-VZBI'JJING? AND COMPUTING MACHINE.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, GUsTAvE a citizen of the `United States, residing in Bronxville, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Type-Writing and Computing Machines, of which the following is a specifi.- cation. l My invention relates to computing machines, and is illustrated in connection with operating numeral keys.

In such machines it is often advantageous A to cause the written numbers to be added or subtracted at will; and to accomplish this purpose, many devices have been used, some of which are cumbersome, or require `some unusual movement of the hand of the operative. According to this invention, controlling keys for causing the computing wheels to add, subtract or be neutral, etc., are advantageously placed near the typewriter keyboard. For example, in a combined typewriting and computing machine, said controlling keys forthe numeral wheels may be in theform of keys which not only stand adjacent-the typewriter keyboard, but are also depressible, thus requiring nounusual movement of'y the hand to set the keys.

My invention is herein disclosed as applied to -a machine of the Underwood-Wright type, such as is shown in my Patent No. 1,020,082, dated March 12, 1912, and is an improvement on the machine shown in my application No. 636,427, Iiled July 1, 1911. Said patent shows a gang of computing wheels engaged seratz'm by a master wheel, as determined by the typewriter carriage: said master wheel being power-driven, and

- the amount of turning at every actuation hereof being determined by the typewriter eys.

In said patent there'are shown key-controlled power-driven devices which drive the master wheel; and between said devices and the master wheel is interposed a clutch which may be set so as to cause said master wheel to turn the computing wheels to add, sub- Specicati'on of Letterslatcnt.

O. DEGENER,

'Patented Nov. 2o, 1917.

' Application led October 1, 1918. Serial No. 792,717.

right of the Underwood typewriter keyboard, where they are convenient to both the hand andfeye of the operative. These controlling keys may control the clutch through a rock shaft and pitman. Where there is more than one totali-ier, any additional totalizer may be.,- controlled through keys which operate a sleeve on "said rock shaft, and so move another pitman connected to the appropriate clutch.

. It is frequently desirable to have any key assume a characteristic position when it is in its effective or its ineffective state so that the operative may know ata glance just whether the key is effective l'or how the connections to the totalizer stand connected. To accomplish such a result as this, the totalizer clutch may be connected with three such totalizer-controlling keys, said keys also connected to each other so that when any one is depressed, it is effective; but in so being depressed. it moves any other depressed key away rom its depressed position.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,l

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an Underwood-fright combined typewriting and computing machine showing only so much of the machine as is convenient for the purpose of illustrating my invention as applied thereto.'

Fig. 2 is a side view of the totalizer-controlling keys showing their position when the adding key is depressed.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing their position when the subtracting key is depressed.

Fig. l is a similar view showing their position when the neutral key is depressed.

In the Underwood-Wright machine, the usual typewriter platen carriage 1 carries a work-sheet (not shown herein) on which type (also not shown herein) are caused to print by numeral keys 2 and alphabet keys 3. As said keys thus print, they cause the typewriter carriage 1 to be fed along a letterspace at every operation of a key. As the ltypewriter carriage travels along, it carries a totalizer 6 comprising dial wheels 7 Said totalizer is thus conveniently placed for the eye of the operative.

When in the adding zone, one of said dial wheels 7 may be turned at every operation of a numeral key 2, the mechanism for this purpose including the usual ower-driven master Wheel 8, said master w eel'comprising teeth 9 which in the adding zone engage in the usual manner with internal teeth on computing wheels (not shown herein) mounted in the totalizer 6. Said master wheel is fast on the usual shaft 10, said shaft being connected through a clutch 11 of the usual kind to the usual drive shaft 12 .of the Underwood-Wright combined typewriting and computing machine. c

The clutch 11 is of the usual kind employed in such machines and includes a bevel gear 13 fast on the master wheel shaft 10, said gear constantly meshing with two bevel gears 14 and 15 Which run loosely on the shaft 12, but either of which may be seized thereto by a seizing member 16 slidably splined on the shaft 12 and provided at each end with teeth 17 which mesh with similar teeth on each of the bevel gears 14 and 15. Said seizing member 16 may also occupy an intermediate position'imwhichfits teeth 17 fail to mesh with either of the bevel gears 14 or 15, .so that the clutch 11 may be said to occupy a neutral position, because at this time the drive shaftl 12 has no eii'ect Aon the master wheel whichever way it may turn.

When, however, the"'s'fei'zing member 16 enga es one of thel bevel gears 14 or 15, it Wi l cause the dial wheels 7 to turn in adding direction, while when it engages the other, it will cause said wheels to turn in subtracting direction.

The machine as shown herein also includes the usual carry-over assisting roll 18 fast on its shaft 19, said carry-over assisting roll, like the master wheel, being power-driven. The carry-over shaft 19 is thus driven by a drive vshaft 20 which, like the shaft 12, 1s always turned in one direction. In order to permit the carry-over shaft 19 to be reversed or be neutral whenever the master wheel shaft 10 is' reversed or neutral, there is provided between the drive shaft 20 and the carry-over shaft 19 a clutch 21 like the clutch 11.

Said clutch 21 includes bevel gears 22 and 23 which are loose on the drive shaft 20 but are adapted to be clutched thereto by a clutching member 24 like the clutchking member 16, and said gears when so clutched thereto, like the bevel gears 14 and 15, turn the carry-over shaft 19 in one di' v rection or the other by a bevel gear (not shown herein) with which they are constantly in mesh. Said clutching member v24 may also occupy an intermediate position whenever the clutching member 16 occupies an intermediate position. l

For causing the t-wo clutches to be shifted together, there is provided a lever 25 pivoted between its endsat 26, which lever carries at each end a pin 27 lying in a groove 28 in each of the clutching members 16 and 24. In order to allow' for lost motion in case of any imperfect meshing of the teeth on tle seizing member 24 wit the internal teeth on its bevel gears 22 and 23, the lever 25 is formed of two parts connected together by a yielding spring 29. The smaller part 30 of said lever, which part engages Withthe clutching member 24, is formed of an arm pivoted on the lever 25 at 31 and includes an arm 32, which arm is engaged by the yielding spring 29, said spring always i the yielding of the spring 29, the smaller` part 30 includes arms 34 which extend on either side of the head 35 of the pivot 26 on which thelever 25 is pivoted. rllhe lever 25 is detained in Whatever position it holds the clutches by a spring detent 36, which detent according to the position of the lever 25, engages one of three notches in an upwardly extending arm 37 of the lever 25.

According to my invention, the lever 25 is provided wlth a pendent pitman or link 38 for moving it, said link being controlled by keys 39, 40, and 41 located adjacent the right-hand side of the typewriter keyboard which comprises the alphabet and numeral keys 3 and 2. The connectionsbetween the keys 39, 40 and 41 and the link38 include the rock shaft 42 which carries at its outer end a disk 43, to which disk the link 38 is pivoted. On the end of the rock shaft' 42 adjacent the sidepiece 44 of the frame of the typewriter in which said rock shaft is journaled, said rock shaft is provided with arms 45 and 46 fast to it and carrying the keys 40 and 41 respectively. The arms 45 and 46 are arranged nearly on opposite sides of said shaftso that depressing one of said keys 40 or 41 will, in rotating the rock shaft, raise the other key nearly to the plane previously occupied by the key just depressed. The key 40 may conveniently be the adding key, which, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is the key depressed at the moment; the key 41 is the subtraction key Which, as shown in Fig. 3, is the key depressed; and t-he key `39 is the neutral key, which key is connected to move the clutching members 16 and 24 to `their intermediate or neutral position in .which the clutchin The means for connecting the neutral key onthe rock hav1ng`on one surface a cam 49 which coto move the clutching members to neutral position, include rock arms 47 and 48 fast shaft 42, s'aid rock arms each operates with a follower 50 fast on the lever 51 of the neutral key 39. vThe arrangement of the cams is such that they form something like a V between the legs of which lies the follower 50, with the result that whenever the neutral key is depressed it raises the follower 50 in the fork of the V, causing it to strike whichever cam surface 49 it may be adjacent, and thereby rock the shaft 42 from the position seen either in Fig. 2 or Fig. 3 to that seen in Fig. 4.

The arms 47 and 48 carrying the cams 49 may be formd as a single member with the key levers 45 land 46. The neutral key lever 51 is pivoted on a stub shaft 52 fast to the typewriter frame and is guided by a plate 53 having a slot 54 in which the key lever 51 plays.

The Underwood- Wright computing machine frequently includes a second totalizer 55 which is associated with a second totalizer carriage 56, said second totalizer carriage including a second master wheel 57 and being connectedl intermittently to the typewriter carriage 1 independently of the first totalizer carriage 5. Said connections include a rearwardly extending lever 58 and other devices, not specifically material to the present invention, 'which are set forth in the co-pending application of Walter Wright, No. 574,813, filed Au st 1, 1910. Said second master wheel 5 is usually driven from the same drive shaft 12 as the first-named master wheel 8, and is connected to drive said master wheel in either direction by a second master wheel shaft `59, said second master wheel Shaft being connected to the drive shaft 12 by a clutch 60 which includes a lever 61 identical with the lever` 25 and having identical functions, so that a descri tion. of clutch 60 is unnecessary. aid lever 61 also shifts a clutch 62 between the drive shaft 20 and the carry-over assisting shaft 63 which corresponds in every respect to` the carry-over clutch 19 and so need not be described at length.-

The lever 61 is rovided with notches 64, like the notches 3 "coperating with a detent 65 to hold the clutch positioned 'inwhatever place it is set. The lever 61 is shiftable to move the clutch 60 to addin subtracting, or neutral position by a lin or pitman 66 which corresponds with the link 38; said link 66 being connected to neutral, adding and subtracting keys 67,

68 and 69 which correspond in all respects to the keys 39, 40, and 41, exceptthat they control the totalizer 55. The connections between the keys 67, 68 and 69 and thepitman 66 include a sleeve 70 journaled on the rock shaft 42, said sleeve carrying at its outer end a disk 71 in which the lower end of the link 66 is pivoted. The sleeve extends over the shaft 42 to the keys 68 and 69, which keys are fast on said sleeve, said keys being mounted on a single piece 72 which includes arms 47 and'. 48 and cams 49 precisely like vthose previously described for the keys 39, 40 .and 41.y

The neutral key 67, like the neutral key 39, is mounted on a key vlever 51 pivoted on the shaft 52, and is guided in a slot 73 in an extension of the plate 53. The sleeve 70 i's journaled at its outer end in a fixed plate 74 on the combined machine, which thus supports both the sleeve 70 and the shaft 42. the plate 7 4 a collar 75 which abuts against the inside of said plate,l while a collar 76 abuts against the hub -77 of the levers of the keys 40 and 41, and thus holds the keys,

said first two keys when the third key moved. 1

2. In a computing machine, the combination with a rock shaft and two keys fast thereon, of two arms on said rock shaft, a third key, and an arm on said third key adapted to turn said rock shaft by said arms.

3. In a computing machine, the combination with a totalizer adapted to add, subtract or remain neutral, of means for driving said totalizer, a shiftable member for determining how said driving means shall be effective on said totalizer, a rock shaft for moving said shiftable member, keys fast to said shaft to shift said member to cause said totalizer to add or subtract, a cam fast on said shaft, and a neutral key having a follower to coperate with said cam to move said shiftable member to neutral position.

4. In a computing machine, the combination with a totalizer and numeral keys, of means for causing said keys to be effective on said totalizer to add or subtract, or be neutral, a key for shifting said means to add, a key for shifting said means to subtract, a cam associated with each of said keys, a neutral key, and a tappet connected to said neutral key for moving said adding and subtracting keys to normal position.

5. In a computing machine, the combina- Said sleeve carries just inside tion with a totalizer adapted to compute in one column, of a second totalizer, numeral keys, means for causing said keys to be effective on said totalizers toadd, subtract or be neutral, an adding key for each totalizer, a subtracting key for each totalizer, a neutral key for each totalizer, a rock shaft for operating said means for one totalizer, a key of each kind for said rock shaft to turn it to operate said means, and a sleeve 'on said rock shaft operable by each of the remaining keysto operate the means for the other totalizer. Y

6. In a computing machine, the combination with a totalizer adapted to compute in one column, of a second totaliz'er, numeral keys,

be neutra-l, a. key for each totalizer depressible to cause it to add, a key for each'totalized depressible to cause -it to subtract, a key for each totalizer to cause it to be neutral,` the connections between the keys of any one totalizer being such that depression of one key moves the other keys of said to'talizer from their depressed positions, a rock shaft operable by one set of said keys to cause said causing means to operate on one totalizer, and a sleeve on said shaft to cause said causing means to operate on the other totalizer.

7. The combination With combined type- Writing and computing mechanism arranged to perform concomitantl actions of typewriting and computing under the control of a common bank of keys, of a bank of statecontrolling keys for controlling the state and character of computation of said comside of each other so as to means for causing said keys to beeffective on said totalizers to add, subtract orv puting mechanism, both banks of keys being actuated by depression and ranged alongbe alternatively operable and `accessible by a slight side movement of the hand.

8. The combination With a computing mechanism, of a series of at least three keys interacting one among the others so as to be alternative in, their control of said comput-4 ing mechanism to determine the state and character of computation carried on thereby.

9. The combination with a computing mechanism, of a state-controlling mechanism for said computing mechanism, an adding key, a subtracting key, and a neutral key, and intermingling connections between said adding, said subtracting, and said neutral keys, rendering them alternative in their action in operating saidrcontrolling mechanism so as toy determine adding, subtracting, and neutral states of said computing mechanism.

10. The combination With a computing mechanism, of a state-controlling mechanism for said computing mechanism, adding, subtracting, and neutral keys for governing the actions of said state-controlling mechanism, said adding and subtracting keys being subservient to each other, and both said adding and said subtracting keys being subservient to said neutral key, whereby only one of said keys can determine the state in esse of said controlling mechanism and said computing mechanism.

GUSTAVE O. DEGEN ER.

Witnesses:

J. E. LUCAS, D. L. BAY-Lis. 

